Bronzing and the like



Aug. 8, 1939. w. wAlTE vBRONZING' AND THE LIKE Filed May '7, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR BY ffl/a ma? WE1/7E A TORNEY Aug. 8, 1939. A w. wArrE 2,169,078

RoNzING AND THE mgm Filed May '7, 1937 2 sheets-sheet 2 lNvENToR Wu FRED M/A/Tf BY JW TTORNEY Patented Allg. s, 1939 PATENT OFFICE' i 2.169.011: BnoNzING AND 'rnn Lum Wilfred Waite, London, England, assignor to American Machine & Foundry Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 7, 1937, Serial No. 141,238 In Great Britain May 18, 1936 12 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to bronzing and the like whereby printing or' the like is given a bronze or other metallic finish by the application of bronze or like metallic dust or powder (hereinafter referred to as bronze).

The invention is more particularly applicable to the bronzing of the imprints on cigarette wrapper webs and has for its object to provide an improved apparatus whereby the bronze is applied in a 30 more effective manner than hitherto. v

In bronzing the imprints on cigarette wrapper webs -it has been usual to apply the bronze dust or powder by the aid of rollers having a plush or like surface which carries the powder and .brushes it over the imprint, the excess powder being removed by a subsequent rotary surface or a plurality of such. With this type of apparatus it is found that there is a liability of specks of bronze adhering to the wrapper at places other than where the imprint is located, probably due to the fact that such specks become adhesive by contact vt n the printing ink as the plush covered rollers move across the imprint, and it is an object of the present invention to apply the bronze in such a way that the above mentioned objection is obviated.

According to the present invention the bronze dust or powder is applied to the imprint on a cigarette wrapper web or other surface byprojecting a cloud or spray of bronze dust onto the imprinted surface.

Suction means are preferably provided to carry away and collect excess bronze Vclust from the zone` of application.

'I'he cigarette wrapper br the like in web form may continuously travel past theedusting shower or it may be moved intermittently so as to be sta.- tionary during the application of the bronze.

'I'he dusting cloud or spray is preferably produced continuously'or intermittently by directing an air blast across the end of a tube the lower end of which projects in a supply of bronze dust.

Further features of the invention will be hereinafter described. f

In the accompanying diagrammatic drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the im` proved bronzing mechanism according .to one form.

Figure 2 is a partial cross section through the bronzing zone.

Figure B^shows a modified appliance for forming the bronze spray. Y

Figure 4 shows a further modification of the spray producing means.

In carrying the invention into eiiect according :spring maybe arranged to to one mode by way of example as applied to the bronzing of the imprints on a travelling web of cigarette paper, the web 5 bearing imprints in a suitable transparent or other suitable ink on the lower surface, passes from the printer and through 5 a bronzing chamber 6, the web moving preferably in an upwardly inclined direction. y

The web seats against a spring surface 'I extending from the entrance 6a to the exit 6b which surface may be formed by a suitable leafv spring l0 mounted upon end supports 8, 9.

Located within the chamber 6 is a container I0 for a supply of the bronze dust or other powder. The container is provided with a cover or lid II through which a pipe or nozzle I2 projects so 15 as Vtoextend into the container and also above the lid. The lid II is provided with suitable air A horizontally arranged compressed air pipe I4 is provided,V one end (or nozzle) of which is 20 located adjacent the upper end oi the bronze pipe or nozzle I2 so that compressed air may blow across the end of such pipe.` The other end of the compresed air pipe Il is connected to a blower I5 or other source of compressed air, the 25 arrangement being such that the compressed air4 issuing from the horizontal pipe Il creates a suction in the bronze pipe or nozzle I2 and causes bronze dust to now through the bronze pipe, the dustbeing entrained in the spray of compressed 30 air. i

The compressed air nozzle may be provided with a divergent or expanding hood IBto confine the spray, which hood extends up tothe paper web.

One or more plush covered rolls Il having clearing combs I8 may be located within the chamber 6 to clean the web or brush ofi' loose particles of bronze.

Located above the `chamber 6 adjacent. the 40 spraying zone is a suction hood I9 which is of relatively large capacity for drawing away surplus bronze. The hoodvseats upon the -closure plate 20 (Fig. 2) of the chamber 6 which plate may be recessed to provide a groove 2l .in which 45 the leaf spring 'I and the paper web 5 are accommodated. Laterally of the groove 2| the plate is provided with perforations 22 through 'which the surplus bronze is drawn by suction into the hood I9. The suction hod is also adapted to collect 50 any bronze brushed oi by the cleaning rollers I1. The perforations 22 may extend the full length of the hood I9 as seen in Figure 1. The leafassume a longitudinally bowed shape.

' suitable source of suction and preferably to the' The suction hood I9 may be coupled up to any inlet ofthe blower i5 by a conduit 23, a by-pass 24V being provided into which the bronze is adapt- 'ed to be delivered into a removable vcontainer 25. Thus provision is made for recirculation of the air, with such dust 'as remains in suspension, in a closed circuit which includes the pipe Il, expanding hood I6, perforated plate 20, suction hood I9, conduit 23 and fan i5.

In operation, the blower I5 causes compressed air to issue across the bronze nozzle I2 whereby bronze is drawn from the container I0 and entrained in the air to provide a mist or spray past which the web 5 travels, whereby the bronze is projected onto imprints on the web. Excess bronze is drawn oiI bythe suction hood andl delivered to the container 25. The web 5 moves past the brushes I1 whereby excess bronze is removed and also drawn oif by the suction hood i9.

Instead of providing a continuously formed spray or cloud of bronze, a spray may be provided intermittently by means which are synchronised with the printer .unit so that a spray or puff is produced each time an imprint moves into-the spraying zone. Thus referring to Figure 3 the compressed air pipe I4 may be coupled to a compressed air cylinder 26, the piston 21 of which is operated against a returning spring 28 by means of a rotary cam 29 which is driven by suitable means timed with the die shaft of the printer. On each forward stroke of the piston 21 a puit of compressed air issues from the nozzle I4 across the bronze nozzle I2 whereby the desired bronze spray or mist is provided.

With such an arrangement, the suction hood I9 for surplus bronze would be operated by a separate unit such as an independent suction fan.

Two or more spray devices, which may be operated from a common cylinder, may be provided for producing sprays at spaced zones according to the disposition of the printing.

According to a further form, see Figure 4, the intermittent jets of compressed air may be provided by a bellows device 30 operated by a rotary cam 3| driven in timed relation to the die shaft of the printing unit.

While the invention has been particularly described with reference to a cigarette web which continuously moves through the bronzing zone, it will be obvious that the web may have intermittent movement so that it is stationary during the bronzing operation. Moreover, the invention may be applied to bronzing of running or intermittently moving webs other than cigarette wrapper webs, whether or not the printing or the like to be bronzed is arranged at spaced intervals or is of a more or less continuous nature. Further it will be obvious that any other dusting powder, metallic or otherwise, may

be used instead of bronze.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for bronzing the imprints on a cigarette wrapper or other web, comprising a chamber, means for passing the web through an upper zone of the chamber, a container for bronze dust below the path of the web within said chamber, a tube projecting from said container toward said path, a spray confining hood into which the upper end of said tube projects, a conduit extending into the hood and located to direct compressed air across the upper -end of said tube and means for supplying compressed air to said conduit.

2. Apparatus for bronzing the imprints on a cigarette wrapper web as claimed in claim 1 wherein suction means are provided above said path for collecting excess bronze dust.

3. Apparatus for bronzing the imprints on a cigarette wrapper web as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spray is directed toward the middle of the traveling web and is deflected laterally thereby, and said chamber has a perforated wall adjacent the path of the web, at each side thereof, above the spraying zone, and a suction hood located outside the chamber and extending over said perforated wall for collecting exhaust bronze dust.

4. Apparatus for bronzing the imprints on a cigarette wrapper or like web as claimed in claim 1 wherein a cylinder is provided for intermittently supplying compressed air to said conduit, and means for reciprocating the piston of said cylinder, whereby the dust is impacted by a pui of airat each application of said dust.

' 5. lApparatus for bronzing the imprints on a cigarette Wrapper web as claimed in claim l wherein rotary brushes and complemental combs are located Within the chamber and cooperate to vided with a longitudinally extending groove, a

leaf spring located in said groove and providing a seating surface for the web in its passage through the chamber.

7. Apparatus for bronzinglthe imprints on va cigarette wrapper or other web, comprising a chamber, means for passing a web of indefinite length continuously through an upper zone of the chamber in an upwardly inclined direction, means within the chamber for creating a spray of bronze dust and projecting it from beneath onto the imprints on the under surface of the traveling web, means to overlie the web to support it against the air pressure, and means to guide the web along its traveling margins.

8. Apparatus for bronzing the imprints on a cigarette wrapper or other web, comprising a chamber, means for passing a web of indefinite length continuously through an upper zone of the chamber in an upwardly inclined direction, means Within the chamber for creating a spray of bronze dust and projecting it from beneath onto the imprints on the under surface of the traveling web, means to overlle the web to support it against the air pressure, means to guide the web along its traveling margins, and means acting upon said under surface to remove the excess of bronzing medium.

9. Apparatus for bronzing the imprints cna cigarette Wrapper or other web, comprising a chamber, means for passing a web of indefinite length through the chamber in a substantially straight run, with the imprints facing downwardly, means within the chamber for creating a spray of bronze dust and projecting it in a stream upward against the imprints on the web, and complemental pneumatic means for sucking the dust-laden stream around said web, said means being constructed and arranged to apply said dust-laden stream recurrently to said web by a current of air reclrculated past the web, in a closed circuit to which increments of dust are added automatically.

l0. Apparatus for bronzing the imprints on a cigarette wrapper or other web, comprising a chamber, means for passing the web through an l0 duit upper zone of the chamber, a container for bronze dust within said chamber, a tube projecting from said container toward the under surface of the web, a conduit disposed in position to direct -a blast of air across the upper end of said tube, and means for supplying compressed air to said conduit, thereby creating an inspirated stream of dust and projecting the same directly against said imprints.

11. Apparatus for -hronzing the imprints on a cigarette wrapper or like web asl claimed in claim 7, wherein said spray is directed toward the middle of the traveling web and is deflected laterally thereby, and said chamber is provided with a perforated wall adjacent to the path of the web, at each side thereof, above the spraying zone, a suction hood located outside the chamber.

and extending over said perforated wall, said means for supplying compressed air to said' conincluding a Ian having its inlet coupled to blown away from the web.

WIL-PRED WAITI. I

said suction hood, said fan, spray tube, sprayconfining hood and return conduit cooperating to maintain a circulation of air past the web, by which pulverulent matter, such as bronzing, is applied in a closed circuit to the under surface of the web and thence in due course is withdrawn from the upper zone of the mechanism.

12. Apparatus for bronzing the imprints on a cigarette wrapper as claimed in claim .7 wherein the web passes through the chamber along an upwardly inclined path, said means for-spraying the bronze dust being directed toward the under surface of the web, and said spraying means including an peller adapted to project dust-laden air intermittently in puil's against said imprints, whereby an adequate amount is supplied to charge .the imprints, and any excess is 

